New Cybersecurity Jobs Index From ISACA Shows Skills Gap Is Growing

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ISACA's Cybersecurity Jobs Index indicates a growing skills gap--presenting a big opportunity for skilled candidates and those looking to enter or advance in the field, and a big challenge for organizations. (Photo: Business Wire)

ISACA's Cybersecurity Jobs Index indicates a growing skills gap--presenting a big opportunity for skilled candidates and those looking to enter or advance in the field, and a big challenge for organizations. (Photo: Business Wire)

What: ISACA’s Cybersecurity Jobs Index is a new at-a-glance
summary of key statistics and insights on the state of cybersecurity
jobs and the growing gap between supply and demand. The job index shows
that here has been a nearly 10-point jump in the past year among
security pros who say that fewer than half of job candidates are
qualified at time of hire.

Who: Christos Dimitriadis, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, CRISC, Chair of
ISACA’s Board of Directors, is available for interviews via phone this
week or at the CSX 2016 cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas next week;
see his quote below.

ISACA is a global association serving 140,000 technology professionals
in 180 countries. Throughout its nearly 50 years, ISACA has helped
individuals advance their skills and capabilities, to help organizations
realize the positive potential of technology. In 2014, ISACA established
the Cybersecurity Nexus, to provide cybersecurity credentialing,
skills-based training, research and guidance.

Why: “The cybersecurity skills gap is quickly turning into a
chasm. ISACA’s 2016 Cybersecurity Jobs Index shows that the number and
cost of a breach are on the rise, but so too are the number of
cybersecurity job openings and length of time it takes to fill an
opening,” said Christos Dimitriadis, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, CRISC, Chair of
ISACA’s Board of Directors. “It’s a perfect storm that leaves
organizations vulnerable—so a greater focus on cybersecurity upskilling
is critical.”

As Cybersecurity Awareness Month is underway and as the White House has
recently appointed its first CISO, the issue of cybersecurity
preparedness is on the minds of business leaders. But the shortage of
properly trained and credentialed professionals is creating a gaping
hole in company defenses that technology alone can’t fill. Tracking the
cybersecurity jobs market will show executives whether the gap is
growing and what they should do to cope.